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Pumpkin French Toast brings together rich fall flavors of pumpkin spice and cozy weekend vibes in this easy breakfast recipe. It’s soft, custardy, warmly spiced, and perfect for chilly weekend mornings.

For more warm pumpkin breakfasts be sure and make Pumpkin Pancakes and Pumpkin Waffles 🍂🎃

Stack of French toast with butter and pecans on it.

Easy Recipe For Pumpkin French Toast

This recipe for pumpkin French toast is such a cozy, warm, comfort-food breakfast for these chilly fall mornings. This recipe takes Classic French Toast and warms it up with pure pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Golden brown, crispy edges, and a soft custardy center. Top it off with maple syrup, butter, and chopped pecans for a cozy pumpkin breakfast treat.

A fork inside a bite of French toast slices

Simple Ingredients Needed

Large Eggs
Half and Half
Pure Pumpkin : This is the canned 100% pure pumpkin. You will only use 1/2 cup of it so use up the leftovers for another pumpkin recipe like these Pumpkin Scones With Maple Glaze.
Ground Cinnamon
Vanilla Extract
Ground Nutmeg
Brioche Bread or Thick White Bread : Brioche bread is a great choice for French toast or use Texas toast which is a thick white bread. There are also good quality, thicker white breads such as Grandma Sycamore’s brand or the Sara Lee Artisan bread.
Maple Syrup, Chopped Pecans, Butter : These are optional serving ideas for pumpkin French toast.

How To Make Pumpkin French Toast With Pumpkin Puree (Printable Recipe Card)

In a shallow dish, or you can use a blender for a smoother batter, whisk together the eggs, half and half, pure pumpkin, light brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and nutmeg until well combined and smooth.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt a small amount of butter on the skillet, or you can use a neutral flavored oil such as canola oil or vegetable oil.

Dip each slice of bread into the pumpkin mixture, making sure to coat both sides well. Place the bread onto the warm skillet and cook 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining bread slices in however many batches you need.

Serve immediately with toppings of choice such as maple syrup, chopped pecans, butter, or a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

How To Store Leftover French Toast

Allow the cooked French toast to cool completely before storing. Stack slices between layers of parchment paper and keep them in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

To reheat leftovers, warm a skillet over low heat, use a toaster or toaster oven, or you can microwave slices of French toast.

For longer storage you can also freeze cooked French toast slices. Individually wrap each French toast slice and store them inside a freezer-safe container or bag. Reheat straight from the freezer inside a toaster or toaster oven.

Serving Suggestions For Pumpkin French Toast

French toast is such a fun breakfast recipe because there are so many topping ideas and everyone can make their own! Here are some ideas to get you started. As always, I recommend serving French toast immediately after it’s done cooking for the best taste. So be sure the toppings are ready to go!

Maple Syrup : Either pancake syrup or real maple syrup works here. A little maple syrup drizzled over top of French toast is the classic way to serve it.
Caramel Sauce : For a decadent breakfast try drizzling some caramel sauce or syrup over top.
Whipped Cream : Store-bought spray cream or make your own with heavy whipping cream + powdered sugar.
Buttermilk Syrup : If I have extra time I love making my buttermilk syrup from this recipe.
Chopped Pecans
Butter, Pumpkin Butter, or Honey Butter
Fresh Fruit : Banana slices are a yummy addition to pumpkin French toast, or use another fruit you love.

French toast having syrup poured over top of it

Tips For Success

Use An Electric Griddle : I love my large electric griddle became whenever I make pancakes or French toast, it fits up to 6-8 pieces on it. This way, you can dip and soak all the bread slices and cook them all together on the griddle. Breakfast is ready at the same time! I bought this Presto Electric Griddle years ago and I love it, and it’s still going strong.
Make The Pumpkin Batter In The Blender : I prefer a super smooth batter (especially when using brown sugar because it can clump up really easily) so I always add everything into a blender, and blend on medium speed until very smooth and combined. I then pour the French toast batter into a shallow dish like a pie plate.
Shallow Dish Tips : You need something wide enough, and shallow enough that you can easily dip bread into the pumpkin and egg mixture batter without having to like bend it or smoosh it in. A Pie Plate is the best thing to use when making French toast.
Make-Ahead Instructions : Prepare the pumpkin French toast custard batter the night before. I love doing this to save prep time in the morning. The best way to make it ahead, is to add everything to a blender and blend until very smooth. Store the blender jar inside the fridge overnight. This is a great option when you want zero breakfast prep time the next morning; maybe for Thanksgiving morning or Christmas morning.
Bread : Depending on the thickness of the bread you are using, will determine the soaking time. For thick sturdy bread such as Brioche bread or Texas toast, you could soak the bread for several seconds to make sure it’s well coated. If you are using thin, flimsy regular sandwich bread then you will just need a quick dup into the batter. I use either Brioche bread, thick Texas toast, or a good quality thick white sandwich bread.
Milk : I recommend using half and half, as the recipe calls for, because it has a rich and flavorful thickness and really makes the French toast delicious. However, you can use whole milk with decent results or whatever milk you prefer (oat milk, lactose-free, etc), but just note that the batter will be thinner if you choose to use a lower-fat milk in place of the half and half.